biology

[qaz13]

what is the difference between drug trials and clinical trials?

[shammydodger]

I would think that not all clinical trials involve the administering of a drug to the participant(s) in the trial. A clinical trial might, for instance, involve participants taking part in differing behavioural programmes.

[Chippy1]

I would say the difference is, for eg.. If you had a known condition ie. Breast cancer and was given a drug eg.Herceptin that would be a clinical trial as in the patient has a condition and you are testing the response to a new drug. If someone just tests a drug they have no physical symptoms/condition which the drug is been tested for. Healthy volunteers against patients with established disease.

[holbreck]

Clinical trials are used for a whole range of products other than drugs. Clinical trials are used for new types of devices (catheters, medical lasers, replacement joints, breast implants, bone replacement substances and 10,000 other devices. Clinical trials are required prior to placing on the market a "new technology or a new application of an existing technology". A successful outcome of a clinical trial will show that the benefit outweighs the risk for a particular device and a particular medical condition. Hope this helps.